A FALL CLASSIC THE DODGERS AND GIANTS, FITTINGLY, WERE THE ONLY TEAMS LEFT TO CARRY ON A BIG LEAGUE TRADITION: THE SEPTEMBER PENNANT RACE

Players ran frantically from the shower stalls wearing nothingbut soapsuds, screaming and howling as if the cold water hadbeen turned off. A few other San Francisco Giants scooted out ofthe trainer's room, suddenly not feeling so sore, andleftfielder Barry Bonds bounced out of the manager's office,where he had been sitting alone in front of the television. Theplayers converged under the big TV in the middle of thevisitors' clubhouse in San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium as the roomerupted in celebration: bodies slamming, palms slapping, menshouting so loudly they could probably be heard up the road atDodger Stadium.

In this season of assaults on the baseball record book, we mustadd another new mark: loudest celebration by a team that justlost by 10 runs. We can only imagine what the Giants would havedone had they beaten the Padres last Saturday. Had a group hug,perhaps? "This is probably the happiest I've ever seen a teamthat got beaten like that," said San Francisco centerfielderDarryl Hamilton. "Here's the way I look at it: At this time ofyear, it's better to be lucky than good."

The Giants have been good for most of this season. On Saturdaythey settled for lucky. They got waxed by the Padres 12-2, butthey barely had time to sulk because their rivals just north onInterstate 5 were doing their best to cheer them up. As many ofthe Giants watched on TV, Los Angeles Dodgers pinch hitter EddieMurray ended the game by grounding into a bases-loaded doubleplay, his second in three days, and L.A. dropped a 2-1 decisionto the Colorado Rockies for its fourth straight loss. SanFrancisco retained a one-game lead in the National League Westdespite the pounding by the Padres. "Everyone went wild," Giantssecond baseman Jeff Kent said later. "I had to remind them thatwe just lost. It sure doesn't feel that way."

It was a classic scene from an old-fashioned pennant race, andthis year, in case you haven't noticed, the National League Westis the only place you can find one. In the rest of the majorleagues, the last week of the regular season is about asscintillating as a farm report. The expanded playoff systemadopted three years ago has, like a bad diet, caught up withbaseball, turning the once precious final week of September intoa meaningless prelude to the postseason. The Giants and theDodgers reminded us how much fun this time of year can be."After one game [against L.A. last week]," said San Franciscomanager Dusty Baker, "our batboy came up to me and told me hewas drained. I said, 'How do you think I feel?'"

While baseball owners were meeting in Atlanta to discuss ways tocreate rivalries, the Giants and the Dodgers were busy provingthat you can't force a good feud. Sometimes it takes decades tonurture a healthy hatred. The Giants and the Dodgers have beenslugging it out on two coasts for 107 years, and if last weekwas any indication, their enmity is as strong as ever. The teamsmet twice in San Francisco, and 3Com Park crackled with energy.Two weeks after only 8,565 fans showed up for a game againstHouston, the Giants drew more than 102,000 for two midweek duelswith the despised Dodgers, and the fans were nearly as fired upas the Giants. Baker's club won both games by a run. SanFrancisco's 12-inning, 6-5 triumph last Thursday afternoon was aclassic, and after catcher Brian Johnson launched thegame-winning solo home run off Mark Guthrie, the race was a deadheat with nine games to go. The best rivalry in baseball goteven better, and September baseball was saved. "I've been in theplayoffs before, and this two-game series was better," saidKent. Hey, Bud. Realign this!

Last weekend the Giants went on to San Diego, where they won 7-4before Saturday's loss and came back to beat the Padres 8-5 onSunday. Meanwhile the Dodgers lost three straight at home to theRockies to fall two games behind. As if the Dodgers weren'tfeeling the forces of nature against them already, in the firstgame of the Colorado series they lost to Pedro Astacio, apitcher they had traded for second baseman Eric Young last monthand had since voted a playoff share. Someone should have toldPedro he might have cost himself some money.

San Francisco will finish the season this weekend at homeagainst the Padres. The Dodgers will travel to Colorado fortheir final four games. The schedule seems to favor the Giants,but the Dodgers remain the most talented team in the division."I still think this is coming down to a one-game playoff," saysL.A. starter Tom Candiotti. "It's destiny. Come on. You knowit's going to happen."

The teams have split 12 games this year and have been separatedby no more than two games in September. Before sweeping thetwo-game set with the Dodgers, San Francisco had lost fourstraight on the road, in Florida and Atlanta, and appeared to befading. Some observers said the plucky Giants had no right to bein the race in the first place: They had finished last the pasttwo seasons (no team has ever finished first after two straightyears in the basement) and had traded slugger Matt Williams toCleveland in the off-season. "To be honest, when I signed withthe Giants I was hoping maybe we'd have a shot at the playoffsnext year," says Hamilton, who left Texas as a free agent afterlast season. "This year? I didn't think so. I don't blame allthe writers for picking us to finish last again, because whenyou're sitting up in the press box you can't see all the heartthis team has."

In a matchup with L.A., the Giants have a clear edge not only inheart but also in leftfield. The Dodgers get the nod just abouteverywhere else. On paper the Giants seem to have as much chanceagainst the Dodgers as Beck would have against Los Angelescatcher Mike Piazza in a bachelor auction. The disparity intalent levels only adds to the drama: Here are the Giants, acolorful patchwork of retreads and rejects, arranged nicelyaround the inimitable Bonds. Of the Giants' starting lineup androtation, only third baseman Bill Mueller is a product of SanFrancisco's farm system. Los Angeles, on the other hand, hasfour regular position players and four starting pitchers who arehomegrown. The Dodgers are second in the National League in ERA(3.60 through Sunday) and fourth in batting (.267). They've hadfive straight rookies of the year, and Piazza has a shot at MVPthis season. Los Angeles is held up as the model franchise inmajor league baseball. "Which is kind of arrogant, if you askme," says Beck.

The Giants? If you don't count the standings, they lead theNational League in two all-important categories: intentionalwalks and sacrifice flies. At the start of the week SanFrancisco had 58 sac flies, which is 58 more than Murray had forthe Dodgers in his two bases-loaded, one-out at bats last week.Remarkably the Giants, who are 11th in the league in hitting,with a .257 average, have scored 31 fewer runs this season thanthey have allowed (737 to 768 through Sunday). The Dodgers haveoutscored their opponents by 85 runs (701-616). Even Bonds, whohomered in three consecutive games last week, isn't having acareer year. He leads the Giants with 37 homers but has drivenin just 96 runs. A three-time National League MVP, Bonds may noteven be the MVP of his team this year. "We can't expect Barry tocarry us, and he isn't expecting to carry us," says Kent, whohas driven in 114 runs. "Everyone knows he's got to step up anddo his part. We can't just look to Barry. He hasn't carried usall year."

The Dodgers, of course, are residing in a different universe.For them to consider this season a success, they have to notonly make the playoffs but also win some postseason games. Theyhave been swept out of the playoffs in the past two years, andthere could be only one thing worse than allowing that to happenagain: losing the National League West title to the ragtagGiants. "If we don't win the division, this season has been anabsolute waste," says Piazza.

The Giants and the Dodgers are vastly different outfits off thefield as well as on. Most members of the media picked SanFrancisco to finish last, the fans stayed away and teammanagement didn't pursue contract extensions for most of thesoon-to-be free agents. The Giants snuck up on everyone. "Thisteam can't hold a candle to the White Sox team I was on as faras talent," says reliever Roberto Hernandez, who came fromChicago in a trade with fellow pitchers Danny Darwin and WilsonAlvarez at the end of July. "But this team has heart."

Although the Giants have their share of grizzled veterans,they're playing with the raw enthusiasm of a team that justqualified for the Little League world series. In the second gameof the L.A. series, the Dodgers loaded the bases off Beck in the10th. When Baker left Beck on the mound to win or lose the game,the home crowd booed. Beck struck out Todd Zeile and coaxed aground ball to second from Murray. When Kent threw home for theunusual 4-2-3 double play to end the threat, Baker turned to thecrowd and pumped his fists. Beck was cheered like a rock star.If this had been a college football game, the Giants would havereceived a 15-yard penalty for excessive celebration.

Two innings later, Johnson ripped a shot through the wind andover the leftfield fence to end the game and send 3Com into afrenzy. Bonds bounded out of the dugout and pounded on homeplate as if to remind Johnson where to end up. Then Bondswrapped his arms around Baker and lifted him as if they had justwon a New Year's Day bowl game. The Dodgers were left to watchand wonder who among the Giants had just cured cancer. "We'llremember the celebrating they did, believe me," says L.A.manager Bill Russell.

The Giants don't seem to care. They aren't going to let pettybaseball protocol spoil the party. "You wouldn't be human if youdidn't feel the highs and lows," says Baker. "We're playing agame we love. This isn't life or death. We're like those surferdudes out on the ocean. When you get up on a good wave, you rideit as long as you can." Just like those surfer dudes--isn't thatwhat Earl Weaver said when the Baltimore Orioles won the WorldSeries?

To a man, the Giants credit Baker with keeping things loose andletting them play. "How can you not like playing for Dusty?"says Beck. "He has two rules: Be on time and don't lie to me. Hemakes it fun to be here. Everyone's friends."

When the Giants were in Cincinnati last month, Beck says, acouple of veterans made plans to go to dinner and invited therest of the team along as a courtesy. Sixteen San Franciscoplayers showed up, an unheard-of turnout these days, accordingto Beck. "Even in '93, when we dominated everyone, it wasn'tlike that," he says. "I mean, we didn't need 25 cabs, but maybe15. This team, we could jump in the same pickup truck and goout, we get along that good."

Down the coast, things are a little different. The Dodgers havemany strengths as a ball club, but camaraderie isn't one ofthem. L.A. players last week quietly questioned some ofRussell's moves, including his dependence on the cement-footedMurray--a September call-up who won't be eligible for thepostseason--as a pinch hitter. Said one player, "Our chemistrystinks. It never got any better. We just started winning."

Then they stopped. The Dodgers, at the start of the final week,had lost 10 of 13 games and were feeling the pressure of thepennant race. The Giants? What do they care? They caught a wavea long time ago and are still enjoying the ride. "To me itdoesn't matter what we do now--it was still special," saysHamilton. "To be picked to finish last and still have a shot atthe playoffs in the last week of the season, that's magical."

This is a magical time. The last week of September, the lastpennant race in baseball. Giants and Dodgers. The only baseballmeetings that matter.

COLOR PHOTO: ROBERT BECK Bonds remains the heart of the Giants, but he's far from the only reason they were leading the National League West. [Barry Bonds batting in game]COLOR PHOTO: JED JACOBSOHN Things went from bad to worse for L.A. in Colorado, where an error by Piazza gave the Rockies a 2-1 win on Saturday. [Mike Piazza in game]COLOR PHOTO: CLAY MCLACHLAN/REUTERS The Giants whooped it up after a 12th-inning, game-winning blast by Johnson (far left) pulled them even with L.A. [Brian Johnson being congratulated by teammates]